‘Rumble Ball’ raises thousands for Leonie

An incredible £3,500 has been raised towards a life-changing operation for Louth girl, Leonie Hadley-Wilkinson, at the recent ‘Rumble Ball’ fundraising event.

The fundraising event, in late September, saw the relaunch of the Lincolnshire Cerebral Palsy Society which recently announced its new patron - Louth lad and professional golfer, Ashton Turner, who suffered cerebral palsy after fracturing his skull in a freak accident as a child.

Leonie Hadley-Wilkinson (6).

The fundraising event featured a two course meal, a silent auction, live auction, balloon raffle, standard raffle, and the musical stylings of the ever-popular Rumble Band.

As reported previously, six-year-old Leonie suffers with severe cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs, which can only be remedied with a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) operation, which is not available through the NHS.

Last month, an anonymous donor contributed £6,500 towards Leonie’s operation, just weeks after Co-op stores across the region teamed up to raise £4,500 for the youngster.

The recent £3,500 boost from the ‘Rumble Ball’, hosted by Bridge McFarland Solicitors at the Beachcomber in Cleethorpes, will give Leonie an even bigger step towards the vital surgery and physiotherapy she needs.

On the night, Leonie’s mum Vicky got up on the stage and said a few words about how much the surgery would mean to her daughter.

Vicky said: “If it goes well then she could walk. It has been amazing what with all the support we have had in the last five months.

“I can’t believe that we are nearly there.

“SDR surgery will relieve a lot of the tension Leonie has in her limbs. As she grows, her limbs are being pulled tighter and it is causing her a lot of pain.

“I just want to stop her pain, and that is what the surgery will hopefully do”.

Leonie’s family have a fundraising target of £35,000, but that will only cover the operation and a single year of physiotherapy.

Leonie will still need more financial help in the future to fund the intensive physiotherapy and aftercare necessary to make the most of her opportunity.

Chris Gresswell-Green, a committee member of the Lincolnshire Cerebral Palsy Society and a senior solicitor at Bridge McFarland, said: “To have raised over £3,500 for Leonie is fantastic and I hope that her surgery goes well.”

Trustee Sue Lawson, added: “The NHS is not able to fund all the physiotherapy, surgery and equipment needed to give people with cerebral palsy their best chance in life.

“We hope that the work we do will help people to bridge that gap and allow everyone to follow their dreams.

“The ball was a smashing success and we are so very grateful to everyone who donated prizes to the raffle and the auction – we couldn’t have done it without you!”